MIAMI-Experts agree: The commercial real estate markets that will perform the best will continue to be those with high barriers to entry. Those include Metro New York, the Mid-Atlantic area and the Texas markets of Dallas, Houston and Austin. Others include coastal cities in Northern and Southern California and the southern part of Florida. Major metro 24-hour cities that have increased population growth and an improving job market will do best.

“There is keen demand for industrial properties, especially in markets with high barriers to entry,” Ray Cirz, CEO and chairman at Miami-based Integra Realty Resources, tells GlobeSt.com. “One of our clients is planning to build a state-of-the-art facility in the Meadowlands, just outside New York City. The development budget is $150 per square foot, which previously was unheard of. In order to make the project feasible, rents must achieve record levels.”

Meanwhile, experts also agree that the markets that have been challenged in the past—such as Las Vegas, Reno and New Mexico—will remain challenged. The Arizona markets are starting to see some progress, but they're still troubled. Unemployment is elevated, as is underemployment, so the jobs situation will need to improve to drive further recovery.